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September 28, 2004
President Bush's repeated claim that his "resolve" helps to protect America does not pass basic scrutiny. The consequences on the Bush administration's approach to terrorism are clear: the president "resolved" not to focus on terrorism before 9/11; he "resolved" not to finish off al Qaeda after 9/11; he "resolved" to shift focus to Iraq with no plan for the aftermath; and his "resolve" continues to ignore problems in Iraq, the regrouping of al Qaeda, and the growing nuclear dangers in Iran and North Korea.
- The Bush administration failed to protect the country before 9/11. We now know terrorism was simply not a priority for the administration pre-9/11. Administration officials were focused on missile defense, China, and other issues – not al Qaeda and global terrorism. Even after the president was explicitly warned about impending al Qaeda attacks in August 2001, his administration did nothing to heighten our awareness or increase our domestic vigilance in stopping the plot.
- The administration failed to finish off al Qaeda after 9/11. With the world solidly behind America's efforts to lead a coalition against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan, President Bush should have sought to finish the job. Instead, he diverted necessary resources and focus from Afghanistan to Iraq. Bin Laden remains free in the region, and American troops are bogged down in Iraq.
- The administration drove us into a hole in Iraq and allowed global terrorist and nuclear threats to grow. The administration's single-minded obsession with Saddam alleviated one problem but created an even bigger security nightmare. Terrorists are pouring into Iraq; the insurgency is growing; and al Qaeda has been free to regroup and multiply, while Iran and North Korea have expanded their nuclear capacities.
Daily Talking Points is a product of the American Progress Action Fund.
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Daily Talking Points is a product of the American Progress Action Fund. |
